Battle of the Blackwater Bogs
The Battle of Blackwater Bogs was a series of failed ambushes by the Hand of Wrath on the Mynydd-Stromic forces. Expecting that the Mynydd's super heavy cavalry would be ineffective in the bogs, Aleksy attempted to set up several ambushes in order to combat the numerically superior Mynydd-Stromic forces. He did not know that the Mynydd are the masters of guerrilla warfare and were able to not only anticipate the ambushes, but come out without a single casualty. With just his heavy cavalry and infantry left, the light infantry and skirmishes of the Cheswick forces were easily able to outmaneuver the ineffective Forsaken forces. Background The Spring Campaign's tide had been completely turned, the first time since the founding of the Forsaken that their campaigns had been largely turned. Aleksy's specialty was prolonged siege warfare as he was an excellent administrator in both life and death, but tactical prowess on the field was not his strong suit. His losses over the campaign were largely unsustainable for a campaign past Tewksberry, but he would have managed to gain the town and called his campaign successful regardless if the Mynydd had not shown up. The losses after that point were devastating and Aleksy knew that he did not have, in any way, the ability to keep both Fort Yronguard and Blackwater Keep. He order the cannon and all other artillery stripped of the keep and sent to Fort Yronguard due to its strategic importance to the Forsaken compared to Blackwater Keep. Morale was high among the allied Mynydd-Stromic forces. Syr Glyndwr arrived with the Bleiddiaid y Dyffryn and Order of the Sable Dragon and combined their forces in order to move on Blackwater Keep. Order of Battle Syr Glyndwr knew that with the super heavy cavalry of the Bleiddiaid (they were mounted on the sacred rhaidd, the moose) would not be able to travel effectively through the Blackwater Bogs and that they would have to stick to the main roads because of it. Knowing that Aleksy would know this, he anticipated ambushes all along the main road thus assigned the Prime Wing only in a slow advance forward led by the Gapwein Cysefin, Syr Drystan ap Bronwyn. The rest of the Bleiddiaid, Ordermen, and Stromic forces would travel on foot through the bogs and ambush the ambushes all along the main road. More than fifteen ambushes were destroyed and only three were actually ever sprung; not a single solider on the Mynydd-Stromic side perished. Aleksy, with only heavy cavalry and infantry left, deployed his leftover soldiers into the bogs believing that he would able to pull off a miracle. Lord Arthur Cheswick deployed his light infantry and skirmishers, effectively dealing with the bogged down heavy infantry and cavalry. Aftermath With most of his leftover forces destroyed, Aleksy and his honor guard retreated to Blackwater Keep and awaited his fate. The Mynydd-Stromic forces arrived and prepared for a siege. Arthur Cheswick brought in heavy cannon and was quoted to say: "They will either surrender or I will make this castle rubble." Category:Forsaken Category:Mynydd Category:Kingdom of Stromgarde Category:Human